The breakdown, included as part of Packaged Facts‘ 14th edition of Pet Food in the US, indicates that eCommerce both expanded the capacity of the pet food market in 2018 while also encroaching on sales from brick-and-mortar pet food retailers.

According to the report, pet speciality chains continue to hold the largest share of pet food sales, followed by mass market retail chains and Internet-based sales. Despite bringing up the tail-end of the list of channels, the Internet-based sales channel experienced substantial growth in 2018 and is on track to take an even greater share in 2019

Beyond the sales channel shake-up, eCommerce has indirectly added some volatility to the brand landscape as well. The emergence of Amazon‘s private label, Wag, and Chewy‘s private label, American Journey, has bumped into the shares of established brands. Both Amazon and Chewy have taken advantage of their respective sales platforms to promote their own brands. As the share of eCommerce sales increases, this effect is expected to increase.

Separate eating areas to prevent one dog or cat from consuming food meant for another

Seek out complete and balanced sources of nutrition

Be mindful of what activities do (and do not) interest your pets and engage them accordingly

“Just like humans, overweight dogs and cats are more likely to get diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, skin conditions, liver disease and joint problems. Starting a diet and exercise regimen for both you and your pet in 2019 will result in improved health and perhaps a longer life for both of you.”

— John de Jong President, AVMA

As with any modification to your pets’ dietary or fitness routines, always consult a veterinarian before adopting any changes.

The Whippet, Pinnacle Tennessee Whiskey — or just Whiskey, as he is known to his friends and fans — stood out among 5,000 other entries to earn Best in Show at the 2018 event. Whiskey and his handler, Justin Smithey, share the honor along with a $50,000 cash purse.

The announcement comes after the release of a joint, longitudinal study from the AVMA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that found that veterinary professionals are more than twice as likely to die from suicide than the general population. The results of the study, conducted over a 36-year period between 1979 and 2015, indicate that, when compared to the general population, male veterinarians are 2.1 as likely to die by suicide while female veterinarians are 3.5 times as likely.

Among the steps being taken by the AVMA to reduce the risk of suicide among veterinary practitioners is the development of new resources to help veterinary professionals identify and support colleagues who may be at risk as well as the promotion of existing resources. One such program, known as Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training, is designed to help individuals identify signs that someone may be contemplating suicide and to help them initiate a dialogue that can then be used to refer that person to a qualified mental health professional. The one-hour QPR Training is currently available, free of charge, to all AVMA members.

“Too many of our colleagues have either contemplated, attempted or died by suicide. And one suicide, is clearly too many. Working with our colleagues throughout the veterinary community will help us find solutions more quickly. This issue is affecting not only our profession, but society as a whole, in numbers greater than ever before.”

— John de Jong, President, AVMA

For more information about the steps the AVMA’s is taking to combat suicide among veterinary professionals, read the full story.

A new study suggests that overweight dogs are more likely to live shorter lives than those with body weights closer to ideal.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool and Mars Petcare’s Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, compared the lifespans of overweight dogs with those of dogs with ideal weights. The researchers found that overweight dogs lived an average of 2.5 years shorter than their lighter counterparts. The effects were seen across a sample of over 50,000 dogs and 12 breeds.

The results of the study come amid a pet obesity epidemic. Within the United States, more than half of domestic cats and dogs are overweight. What’s more, 20% of dogs and 30% of cats are obese.

“Owners are often unaware that their dog is overweight, and many may not realize the impact that it can have on health. What they may not know is that, if their beloved pet is too heavy, they are more likely to suffer from other problems such as joint disease, breathing issues, and certain types of cancer, as well as having a poorer quality of life. These health and wellbeing issues can significantly impact how long they live.”

— Alex German, Professor of Small Animal Medicine, University of Liverpool

The meeting, which took placed last month in Busan, South Korea, was convened to revise the Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance, a document which provides best practices for the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals. The AVMA was invited to provide a voice for veterinary practitioners — including its 91,000 members.

Survivors of domestic abuse and their pets have new protections in place thanks to a piece of legislation tucked away in the $867 billion Farm Bill signed into law late last month.

The Pets and Women Safety (PAWS) Act was drafted to protect “victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by acts of violence or threats of violence against their pets” by setting aside $3 million in federal funds to cover costs associated with keeping pets at alternative housing for domestic abuse survivors.

Along with the provisioning of funds, the PAWS Act also expands the federal definition of stalking to explicitly include pets. Under the new definition, stalking now includes “conduct that causes a person to experience a reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to his or her pet.”

“Sadly, one in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. Pets often become a member of the family, and the idea of leaving a beloved pet behind in a dangerous situation is unthinkable. By ensuring that people experiencing domestic abuse don’t have to make the decision between finding safety for themselves or staying behind to protect their pet, we can empower survivors to seek help.”

— Katherine Clark, United States Representative (D-MA)

For many domestic abuse survivors, the decision to leave dangerous living situations has been a decision between seeking safety for themselves and condemning their pets to harm or death. Many shelters for survivors of domestic abuse do not accept pets, leaving those staying there to find alternative arrangements for their pets, if any at all. Consequently, one third of domestic abuse survivors report delaying leaving their abusive situations over concerns for the welfare of their pets.

With the PAWS Act now signed into law, survivors of domestic abuse and their pets will have more protections in place and more options available when it comes to finding safe places to stay.

The Pets and Vets program trains rescue dogs to become service animals that are then provided to qualifying veterans. Rescued dogs who enter the program are provided with training for obedience, public access, and to perform specific tasks. Veterans who are paired with dogs through the program receive the dog at no expense.

Purina’s contribution to the Pets and Vets program was made possible through Purina’s #DogThanking campaign, which ran concurrently with the National Dog Show and Thanksgiving. During the campaign, Purina donated one dollar for every pet owners who posted to social media using the #DogThanking hashtag and who tagged @Purina.

“The #DogThanking campaign was an engaging way for pet lovers to thank the pets that make our lives so special while making a difference in the lives of many veterans and shelter dogs. We are grateful to Purina for selecting us as their partner to raise awareness and funds for this unique program. This donation helps us rescue more dogs and serve more veterans living with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and other challenges – truly saving lives at both ends of the leash.”

Petco and Express Scripts recently announced a new partnership that allows pet owners to order their pets’ medications over the Internet and have them delivered directly to their homes.

Under the new alliance, Petco has launched Petco Pharmacy, a new online service for ordering over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription pet medications. Petco Pharmacy has been developed to take advantage of Express Scripts’ fulfillment systems to ensure that pets’ medication orders arrive quickly and accurately.

“Working with Petco is another step forward for Express Scripts in providing better care, cost and convenience to millions of Americans, many of whom are also pet parents. By combining Petco’s history, expertise and extensive reach in pet retail with our innovative home delivery capabilities, we’re transforming the pet medicine industry and making access to critical pet medicines convenient and affordable for more pet parents than ever before.”

In correspondence with Petfood Industry, Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention founder Ernie Ward stated that veterinarians suggest that instances of obesity among exotic animals may be underreported and underdiagnosed. Part of the problem, according to Ward, is that obesity assessment tools are inadequate for most exotic animals. While veterinarians have standardized tools for assessing obesity among cats and dogs, similar standards have not yet been agreed upon for birds, reptiles, and small mammals.

“We need better assessment tools and treatment regimens for avian, small mammal and reptile obesity. The first step is to standardize terminology and assessment tools, similar to what we’re doing with the Global Pet Obesity Initiative.”

— Ernie Ward, Founder, the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention

Ward’s statements follow increased pressure for veterinarians to develop comprehensive approaches to combat obesity among pets. At a presentation given during the Future of Animal Companionship Conference last month, University of Liverpool Professor of Small Animal Medicine, Alex German, along with ConscienHealth‘s Ted Kyle made a number of recommendations for veterinarians to adopt to better address pet obesity. Among those recommendations were calls to develop better evidence-based strategies for preventing obesity, to reframe conversations between veterinarians and clients about obesity, and to formally define obesity as a disease.